Santana agrees to $137.5M, 6-year contract with Mets

Santana and the Mets agreed Friday to a $137.5 million, six-year
contract extension, a record for a pitcher and the last major step needed to
complete the team's blockbuster trade with Minnesota.

After the sides were granted an extra two hours to work on a
deal, the Mets announced about 30 minutes before the new 7 p.m. EST
deadline that negotiations had concluded. The two-time Cy Young
Award winner was scheduled to take a physical Saturday.

Terms of the agreement were disclosed by a baseball official
with knowledge of the talks who spoke on condition of anonymity
because no announcement had been made. The deal includes deferred
money and a club option for 2014 with a $5.5 million buyout that
could make the contract worth about $150 million over seven
seasons. Depending on Santana's performance, the option could
become guaranteed.

The acquisition of Santana for four prospects gives New York the
durable ace it has sorely lacked while chasing a pennant the past
two years.

The Mets came within one win of the World Series in 2006 despite
an injury-depleted pitching staff, then missed the playoffs last
season after blowing a seven-game lead in the NL East with 17 to
play.

Now, New York is a National League favorite again. As long as
players in the trade pass physicals, Santana will lead a rotation
that includes three-time Cy Young Award winner Pedro Martinez,
crafty right-hander Orlando Hernandez and a pair of 15-game winners
from last season: John Maine and Oliver Perez.

Santana is 93-44 with a 3.22 ERA in eight major league seasons,
winning the AL Cy Young Award in 2004 and 2006 with the Twins. He
has been less successful in the playoffs, going 1-3 with a 3.97
ERA.

The left-hander slipped a bit last year, finishing with a 15-13
record that included marks of 0-5 against AL Central champion
Cleveland and 1-3 vs. Detroit. He dropped seven of his final 11
decisions as his ERA rose from 2.60 to 3.33 ERA, his highest since
2001. He also allowed a career-high 33 homers -- most in the AL.

"He's good but he's not unbeatable. He got hit around last
year," said pitcher Tim Hudson of the Atlanta Braves, one of the
Mets' chief rivals in the NL East along with Philadelphia. "We've
just got to be concerned about ourselves. We can't be consumed by
what anyone else does."

Santana's contract topped the previous mark for pitchers, set
when Barry Zito received a $126 million, seven-year deal from theSan Francisco Giants last offseason. Santana was due $13.25 million
in the final year of his contract with the Twins, and would have
been eligible for free agency after the World Series.

Santana and the Mets were then given until 5 p.m. EST Friday to
negotiate a contract. For the deal to become official, the
left-hander must formally waive the no-trade provision in his
current contract.

Mets officials met with Santana's agent, Peter Greenberg, in
Manhattan for the third straight day Friday as the sides worked on
a long-term deal.

With talks ongoing, the Mets asked Minnesota for two extra hours
to work on an agreement, a request that was granted by the Twins
and approved by the commissioner's office.

Without a new deal, Santana, who will turn 29 next month, could
have become a free agent after the World Series. Minnesota offered
him an $80 million, four-year extension this offseason, but he
turned it down.

"I just know he's 29 years old and he's got two Cy Young
Awards. I know he's elite," Braves catcher Brian McCann said.
"We've got guys who are elite, too. You're going to have to go out
and play it out. It's going to be fun."

The Mets also agreed to a $1,025,000, one-year deal with
left-handed reliever Pedro Feliciano that avoided an arbitration
hearing. A key member of the bullpen, Feliciano was 2-2 with a 3.09
ERA and two saves in 78 appearances last season. He asked for $1.2
million in arbitration and the Mets offered $880,000.

The Mets have three players remaining in arbitration: Perez,
right-hander Jorge Sosa and outfielder Ryan Church.